"My favorite part is having the ability to work with so many different groups on a regular basis," says Tom Thomas, a software architect at Costco Wholesale in Seattle. "Each day I have the opportunity to make [a] customer's life that much easier."

What they do all day? Software architects play a pivotal role as bridge-builders between technical teams and management. More than just great software engineers, they understand how to solve business problems with technology and are responsible for designing a system that fulfills those needs.

How to get the job? Good architects are big-picture thinkers who understand how an organization's software system works as a whole, so it helps to be familiar with help desk, data center or other IT operations beyond software development.

What's great? What's not? Architects make vital decisions that drive a business technologically, so it's a high-pressure job. On the plus side, since software is an integral part of nearly every industry these days, architects who stay sharp technically have the opportunity to work in practically any sector in the world. --G.W.

What they do all day? Software architects play a pivotal role as bridge-builders between technical teams and management. More than just great software engineers, they understand how to solve business problems with technology and are responsible for designing a system that fulfills those needs. --G.W.

Notes: All pay data from PayScale.com. Median pay is for an experienced worker (at least five or seven years in the field). Top pay represents the 90th percentile. Job growth is estimated for 2010-20, and based on people working in broader 'job family' from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

*Total jobs is estimated number of people working in broader BLS 'job family.'

Sources: PayScale.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNNMoney research

It's still a tough job market, so when CNNMoney, in partnership with data from PayScale.com, set out to find America's Best Jobs this year, first and foremost we looked for professions that offer great growth opportunities.

Other big factors: pay (how strong it is now, and how fast it's growing), overall job satisfaction, and how many jobs are in the field overall.More